Owen pulled out his phone. "Did you see his car?"

"This year's Mercedes C63 sedan, black." Ryder rattled off the license plate. "I don't think he'll be back-she hit him where it hurts-but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out."

"Exactly. Son of a b.i.t.c.h just got married and he's trying to make Hope his ... He did her a favor when he dumped her."

"Yeah, she seems to get that."

Beckett shot out a finger. "She made you the pie."

Ryder grinned. "Good pie. She wanted to even the score, I guess. So I took it, then I put a move back on her. I like to be ahead in the game."

"You kissed her again?" Owen demanded.

"The other times she started it. I was starting to feel cheap and used."

When Beckett laughed, Owen punched his arm. "Hey."

"It may not be funny. Are you starting a thing with Hope?"

Ryder took a lazy slug of beer. "That would come under the heading of none of your d.a.m.n business."

"She's the innkeeper."

"Avery's a tenant. It didn't stop you."

"Yeah, but ..." While Owen tried to work that out, Ryder shrugged.

"Relax. Jesus. Kissing a woman-an available, willing woman-is a man's G.o.d-given right. It doesn't mean I'm looking at ba.s.sinets. Plus, she kissed me first."

"And she's smokin'," Beckett added.

"Married, father of three with two in the oven," Ryder pointed out.

"I could be the father of twenty, I'd still have eyes. She's smart, smokin'-former beauty queen, remember-and bakes pies. Nice job."

"She's got nice moves, too."

Owen put his head in his hands and made Beckett laugh again. "He's just got to worry about something."

"She's the innkeeper. She's Avery's and Clare's best friend. She got dumped by the son of her boss."

"You don't want to put me in the same cla.s.s as Wickham, bro."

"I'm not. I'm just stating facts. Add one more. Mom's crazy about her. So if you want to have s.e.x with her, and she wants to have s.e.x with you, great. Just don't screw things up."

"You're starting to p.i.s.s me off," Ryder said mildly-always a dangerous sign. "Why don't you give me the name of a woman I've screwed things up with?"

"She's not just a woman. She's Hope. And I feel sort of-"

"You've got a thing for her?" Ryder asked.

"Oh, just suck me," Owen snapped back. "I've spent more time with her than either of you, dealing with the setup of the inn, and researching for our resident ghost. She's sort of like a sister."

"You're sort of like my brother."

"Yeah, so it's weird. And Avery's given me the down and dirty on the Wickham thing. He really did a number on her, Ry. The whole frigging family did. So, she's, you know, maybe still a little tender."

"What do you mean, the whole frigging family?"

"They knew. Wickham's old man, his mother. He's got a sister, too. They all knew he was stringing her, and whether they thought it was okay or not, they let it slide. She was managing their hotel, and she handled a lot of their personal event planning. They had her over to their house for dinner, had her up to their place in the Hamptons. Avery said they treated her like one of the family, so she felt like one of the family. So it was like getting dumped by the whole d.a.m.n family and getting screwed over by Wickham, and being used by her employers. They f.u.c.ked her over good."

It spelled things out, clearly. Ryder decided the whole Wickham clan could go to h.e.l.l. "I don't f.u.c.k women over. Neither does my family."

"No, you don't. We don't. But now you've got a better picture."

"Yeah, I got the picture. If anything moves between us, and I'm not saying it will, I'll be sure she's got a clear one of her own. Satisfied?"

"Yeah."

"And don't go running to Mom."

"Jesus, why would I? I'm no tattletale."

"You told her I broke her cut-gla.s.s vase throwing the ball in the house, and hid the pieces," Beckett reminded him.

"I was eight!" Genuine grief and insult vibrated in Owen's voice. "How long are you going to hold that over me?"

"Forever. She took TV privileges away from me for three days-for hiding the pieces, and another day for throwing the ball in the house. I missed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

"Grow up and buy the DVD."

"I did. Doesn't clear you, dude. The Silence of Brotherhood is sacred."

"I was eight."

Since Owen's mind was on something besides his potential s.e.x life, Ryder pushed to his feet. "You girls work this out now, like ladies. I'm going home, get some rack time."

"Material's coming at eight," Owen told him.

"I know it. I'll be there."

"I'm going to work in the shop on the panels for the bar. Text me if you need me to come in."

"I can make it through one day without seeing your pretty face. You I can use." He pointed at Beckett. "Seven a.m."

"It's going to be eight, eight thirty. Clare's mom wants the boys tomorrow. I have to get them up, dressed, fed, and over there. Clare's at the inn, remember."

"Just get there. Let's go, Dumba.s.s." He started out. "And don't throw the ball in the house."